An Orphan Story
by Only-eyes-for-Riddick
Summary: Dumbledore allows a bunch of mistreated orphans to stay at Hogwarts. Roxanna is the oldest of the group and catches the eye of a man older than her, with a dark past. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter one

**Hello there. This story is after Voldemort was defeated and is a little strange to say the least. This is result of listening to songs from Annie for too long and having an obsession with Harry Potter. I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters you may reconize. I do own the ones you don't reconize though. By the way, the Beatrice mentioned in this chapter is not Lestrange, it is a different one. Just FYI. Enjoy, and please don't be too harsh.**

Screams filled the night as the moon rose on the first day of school for the students of Hogwarts. No one could hear them, nor the fast movement of running feet to escape the screaming.

The sorting ceremony occurred sorting the newest first years into their houses, and the feast began. Suddenly the door flew open and several children ran in dressed in horrible clothes, no shoes despite the rain outside, and they seemed terrified.

They glanced around the room, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.

Another scream came forward, more like a warning. "Hide," someone yelled before screaming again.

The children instantly found places in the Great Hall to hide, the smallest choosing to hide under the Head table at the feet of Severus Snape. Snape wasn't happy about this child being so close to him, but when he saw the reason why, he didn't mind as much.

A witch walked in carrying her wand and a rope. She was an older witch dressed in the finest green emerald dress and cloak. Behind her was another girl. This one was different. She was older and her clothes were ripped and dirty. Her long hair was stringy and hanging around her face. Her face was covered with dirt and grim, but the most noticeable thing about the girl was the injuries. This girl had a black eye, a cut on her left cheek, a split lip, and her arm looked broken and was bloody, and she was limping.

The witch pulling the girl along on the rope that was tied around her neck had a look of anger and revenge on her face before she noticed Dumbledore sitting at the Head Table. Once she saw him, she smiled and walked up toward him, pulling the girl behind her.

"Hello there Albus," The witch said. Dumbledore stood and looked at the witch and then at the girl behind her. The girl's eyes remained fixed on the ground.

"Hello, Beatrice. What are you doing here?"

Beatrice smiled and pulled the girl behind her closer to her, causing her to fall to the ground.

"Nothing much, just teaching discipline to some unruly children. By the way, have you seen them?"

"Who?"

Beatrice smiled. "The orphans I am in charge of. They ran away from me because I was making them eat spinach."

The girl snorted and Beatrice turned to her and slapped her across the face. The girl took the slap without a word. Beatrice turned back to Dumbledore.

"This one is the worst. It is the worst thing to do to a woman such as myself, don't you agree Albus," Beatrice said flirting shamelessly with Albus. The girl watched through her hair while making it look like she wasn't watching.

Beatrice placed her wand on the table to flip her hair a bit, to turn Albus's eyes away from the girl on the floor. That was her mistake.

Instantly the girl on the floor jumped up and waved her hand. A surge of power flowed from her and hit Beatrice, knocking her into the wall and then dropping to the floor. She was unconscious.

Every eye in the room moved from the unconscious woman to the girl who stood and removed the rope from her neck. She continued without any thought to anyone else in the room. She turned from the Head table, giving the professors the perfect view of her blood soaked back. The girl walked over to Beatrice and reached into her robes.

After rummaging around for a bit she found what she was looking for, a leather whip. She carried it over to Dumbledore and placed it next to Beatrice's wand.

"I'm sorry for interrupting your meal. I'll take the other children and leave."

Snape was angry. He had endured the Crucio curse more often than he would like to remember and had been tortured, but never had he seen such pain inflicted on one person. The child under his seat had grabbed onto his leg when she head Beatrice's voice. She hadn't let go yet.

"It's okay," the girl standing in front of Dumbledore said. "You can come out now."

The children who had hidden prior to Beatrice's entrance had begun reappearing and running to the girl in front.

"Roxanna, Roxanna." They yelled as they pounced on her with hugs. She winced a bit, but returned their hugs with her good hand.

Roxanna looked around at the other kids and counted them.

"Where's Lilith?" she asked. All the others shrugged and looked at each other. Snape stood and turned to the girl.

"Excuse me, but does she have blond hair and blue eyes?" Roxanna turned to the silky voice and saw a man standing with piercing black eyes. She limped over to him.

Snape was surprised by the girl's determination, but was stunned by her beautiful dark green eyes. They were filled with life and hope, despite what she had obviously been through.

"Yes," Roxanna said. Snape nodded. "It appears that Miss Lilith has taken refuge by attaching herself to my leg."

A few giggles were scattered around the Great Hall at this. Roxanna grinned lightly before turning her expression back to one of non-caring. She bent down and looked under the tablecloth. Sure enough, Lilith was attached to his leg.

"It's okay, Lilith. I'll protect you. You know that."

The little girl turned her blue eyes to Roxanna and released Snape's leg and attaching herself to Roxanna's neck.

"I'm sorry," she said crying. "Please don't be mad at me."

Lilith was crying in Roxanna's arms. Roxanna tried to stand but with only one arm and a hurt leg, it was a little difficult.

"I'm not mad at you Lilith. I can't get mad at you for this, it isn't your fault. I promise that I will protect you, all of you," Roxanna said. Snape was watching them with interest.

'What is she talking about?'

Lilith released Roxanna and all the boys in the group came over and helped her stand. When she was on her feet again, Roxanna turned to Snape.

"Thank you for protecting Lilith. She is the youngest and the beating was meant for her."

Roxanna turned to leave when the amount of blood lost caught up with her and she fell down in front of Snape's seat. Blackness clouded her eyes. The last thing she remembered was a silky voice telling the children to stand back and a pair of black eyes.


	2. Chapter two

Lilith refused to leave Roxanna's side. The other children had taken refuge in the kitchen, being served by the House-Elves. All of them ate like they hadn't eaten in days. In fact, that is exactly what Dumbledore assumed happened.

"What are we going to do Headmaster?" Professor McGonagall asked looking at the young girl on the bed still unconscious to Beatrice lying on the next bed complaining about the way she was being treated.

Dumbledore shook his head. "I don't know. This girl obviously has a lot of power in her, but if we keep her here then the other children will be subject to the same pain and suffering that she had endured."

Madam Pompry, Poppy, came into the room at that point carrying a Dreamless Draught potion for Roxanna. She lifted her head and helped her drink it. Lilith watched them and shook her head.

"I don't think that is going to work," she said, drawing the attention of the three people in the room.

"Why do you think so my dear?" Dumbledore asked. Lilith looked over at Beatrice, who was behind a silencing charm to keep her quiet and not disturb the other patients.

"We would hear stories about it from Roxanna. She would tell us that she is immune to most potions, such as Dreamless Draught, and to most poisons because of them constantly being put into her when she was younger."

A noise from the bed turned the attention back to Roxanna. She was waking up. Poppy was surprised. "I gave her enough Dreamless Draught to keep her sleeping peacefully for several hours."

Roxanna groaned. Snape came into the infirmary at that time followed by another child, a young boy with brown hair and brown eyes. He was carrying a plate of food and following Snape.

"This young man wishes to see if Lilith is hungry," Snape said looking Dumbledore. Lilith walked over to the other boy and they sat down on another empty bed and started eating. Roxanna groaned again and opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw was a man dressed all in black with shoulder length black hair framing his face giving attention to his incredibly intense black eyes and his hooked nose. She remembered him as being the one who protected Lilith in the dining hall.

"Thank you again," she said causing Snape and Dumbledore to turn to her. McGonagall left to check on the other children and Poppy was sitting with the other two children.

"You should be sleeping," Snape said in his classroom voice. Roxanna wasn't intimidated by his voice, instead she smiled.

"I'd like to see you try and make me. I am immune to all the sleeping potions, most healing potions, and I can brew, perfectly, the antidotes to many poisons. Since I have had many of them in my system and had to live to protect the others." Roxanna tried to move her head, but pain rain down her body.

"I would suggest that don't move Miss…" Snape said. Roxanna looked up at Snape with confusion in her eyes.

"I don't have a last name. It's just Roxanna," she said. "What is your name, sir?"

"I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, and this is Severus Snape, Potions master," Dumbledore answered.

"Thank you Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor Snape," Roxanna said with the utmost respect. Snape was surprised that the girl was so respectful.

"There is no reason for such formalities, you can call me Albus and him, Severus," Dumbledore said with a smile. Roxanna smiled back. "Thank you, Albus."

Dumbledore walked over to the other children, leaving Roxanna and Snape alone.

"I would prefer it if you would call me Professor Snape," he said. Roxanna nodded. "I figured as much. You don't seem like the kind of person who likes people who barely knows him to call him by his first name."

Snape felt like smiling, but resisted. "Oh? And what kind of person do you think I am?"

Roxanna smiled. "You dress in black clothes that match your hair and eyes. You must have a dark past. Because of this assumption, I can assume that you are unmarried because you feel like the past is something you have to suffer for now. You don't think you are worthy of anyone's love, even if you are. Because of the way you keep to yourself, I assume that you don't let anyone close to you and that you like to keep your emotions hidden. You think that you are complex, but in reality you are not. You are just a man searching for that which you want so desperately, but feel like you are unworthy of. You are searching for love and a family."

Snape just stared at her. In just a few words this girl had pinned him down. She didn't even know him, and yet knew everything about him. She wasn't using Legimancy, or he would have felt it.

"I often watch hopeful future parents come and look us over like we were meat. I learned how to read clothing, body language, and other attributes while staying at the orphanage."

Snape found this intriguing. This girl spent enough time in that horrid place to read people, brew antidotes without knowing what the original poison was, tame her powers to a degree, and protect the several children from the whip of Beatrice Explenta.

"How long were you there?" he asked finally, after a few minutes of silent studying. Roxanna's green eyes locked with his. He could see the sadness welling up in them.

"All my life. All seventeen years of it," she said. Snape looked at the girl. She was healing up nicely, even if it did take several potions to do anything to help her. She looked closer to twenty six than seventeen.

"What happened to you?" he whispered, more to himself than to her, but she heard him anyway.

"I think that is a story for another day," she said. "Right now I am feeling a tad bit drowsy and I need to sleep in order to heal."

Snape nodded and turned to leave, but her voice stopped him.

"Thank you again," she said, "for everything."

Snape turned back to the young girl lying on the bed. She fell asleep. He just stood there and watched her for a few seconds before shutting the curtain around her and heading back down to the dungeons.


	3. chapter three

Several days passed before Roxanna was allowed to leave the infirmary. When she was allowed to leave, Poppy gave her a plain black dress to wear.

"Sorry we don't have anything with more color, but…"

"It's fine," Roxanna said with a smile. "I love it. Better than anything I ever wore at the orphanage."

Roxanna donned the black dress. It went down to just above her knees. It was sleeveless and had a V-neckline that stopped just between her breasts, showing off a little cleavage, but was decent.

She put on a pair of black shoes and followed Poppy down to the Great Hall.

"Where are the other children?" Roxanna asked. Poppy smiled. "You sound like a worried mother."

"I feel like a worried mother. I watched these kids grow up in one of the worst conditions imaginable. I worry about them."

Poppy turned to Roxanna. "They have been given quarters. The boys are in one and the girls in the other. There are enough beds for them. They are there right now sleeping."

Roxanna let out the breath she was holding. "That's good news."

"How did you end up in that place?"

"I was…"

"Hello again Miss Roxanna," a baritone voice rumbled behind them, interrupting. Roxanna turned to see Snape standing there with the same look on his face, which he always had. He looked angry and disinterested.

"Hello Professor Snape," Roxanna said with as much respect as she could with his black eyes looking directly at her.

Snape was in awe. Such a simple dress; yet on this young girl it was extraordinary. She looked beautiful, although Snape would never say that out loud, especially with Poppy there.

"I will meet you in the Great Hall, Roxanna," Poppy said. Her stomach growled loudly. With a blush slowly crawling up her cheeks, Poppy rushed off to the Great Hall, leaving Snape and Roxanna alone.

"How have you been Professor?" Roxanna asked trying to break the silence in the room. Snape said nothing, he was just standing there staring at her.

Roxanne was beginning to feel very uncomfortable and was about to walk away when he spoke.

"I believe it is time for you to tell me what exactly was going on in that orphanage you grew up in and how you got there."

Roxanna's eyes widened. He just expected her to just tell him? She took a deep breath and was suddenly feeling light-headed. She started to fall, but a pair of strong arms grabbed her around her waist and held her up.

"I'll tell you, but I need to sit down." Roxanna said grabbing her head.

"Understandable. Can you walk?" Snape asked. Roxanna nodded but when Snape released her she almost fell again.

"Perhaps not," he said. Roxanna chuckled. "You are funny when you want to be. What a surprise."

Snape nodded as he helped her down the stairs to the dungeons, to his quarters. When they reached the door to his office, he mumbled the password that lowered the wards and opened the door.

He placed her in a large emerald green armchair before sitting in a similar one across from her.

"Just relax for a moment," he said. Roxanna looked at him with surprise in her eyes.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked. Snape was a little taken back at her question. Granted he was not the nicest teacher in the school, but when he was no one asked him why. It just made him more curious.

"Miss Roxanna, when I offer aid to someone, it would be wise not to question it."

Roxanna nodded. "I understand. It's just strange for me to be helped since usually I am the one helping, or in this case protecting." She looked up at Snape with a strength and happiness in her eyes. She smiled a bright smile at him.

Snape didn't like this. He was showing the softer side of his nature and he couldn't stop it. This girl with her beautiful dark green eyes was getting under his skin, and she had only spoken to him a few times. He distracted himself by looking at the scars on her arms.

She would have had silky smooth skin had there not been scars criss-crossing up and down her arms, chest, and legs. He also knew of the many scars cascading across her back from being whipped countless times.

"Tell me about the orphanage," he said. Her smile instantly disappeared from her face and her eyes turned cold and emotionless. Snape almost couldn't bear to look at her, but knew he had to.

"You mean…the scars and the beatings?" Snape nodded. Roxanna took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She sat there with her eyes closed for several minutes before turning looking back up at Snape.

"Okay, but only if you answer my question first."

Snape nodded and Roxanna asked her question.

"Why do you give a shit about a poor little orphan girl when you obviously don't care about anyone but yourself?"

Snape raised an eyebrow. He wasn't expecting this kind of question or this hostility. "What do you mean?"

Roxanna shrugged. "Seems to me that you like being alone and letting other people solve their own fucking problems, so I wanted to know what makes me so damn special that you have to help me."

Snape was speechless.


	4. chapter four

"What makes you think you know me?" Snape said after several silent moments. It was Roxanna's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"Please. I know what your students think of you. I heard them while I laid in that bed in the hospital wing. They all believe you favor Slytherins only and for what I heard, their right." Roxanna stood. "Besides a few minutes ago you didn't seem so interested in revealing why the hell you wanted to know about my problem, or why you were so interested in being nice to me. Do you think that if you show me a little bit of kindness I am going to screw you into the next century?"

Roxanna was angry now. She stood and started pacing in front of Snape, aiming her insults at him.

"Do you think I am some sort of little orphan whore who will fuck the first man I see for a few coins? Well you know what? Fuck you!"

Roxanna walked passed Snape and out of the sitting room and into a dark hallway back to his office and out of his quarters. She was in the doorway when the same dizziness from before took her over.

She fell backwards waiting for impact with the floor, but it never came. Instead she fell into a hard body with strong arms. The next thing she knew, both she and Snape were on the ground, she was in his lap being cradled in his arms. He was looking down at her with his intense eyes.

Roxanna instantly felt her breath quicken and her heart start to pound in her chest. She wanted out of his arms yet couldn't find the strength to fight it. His eyes were like two dark orbs. She lifted her hand up and touched his cheek under his eye. His hands gripped her tighter and she gasped. Snape was looking down at this beautiful young girl and never wanted to let her go, but knew that he must. He loosened his grip and stood, pulling her up with him.

"I don't think you can be bought," he said. "You are far too strong willed for that." He walked away from her and stood by the fireplace in front of the two emerald chairs. He placed his hands on the mantle and closed his eyes.

Roxanna just stayed where she was. She was staring at the floor with her hands hanging at her sides. Neither one moved for several minutes. Finally Snape broke the silence.

"I'll tell you why I want to help you," he said. Roxanna looked up at his back.

Snape could feel her eyes on him, but he didn't dare look at her. She would never really understand why he wanted to help or why he felt the need to help her.

"My…my father was not a kind man," Snape began. "He treated my mother like shit until the day she died. I was seven at the time. I had never received any kind of treatment from my father until she died, then I got all the punches and all the pain."

Roxanna walked toward him, but stopped herself from reaching out to touch him.

"When I was seventeen my father gave me a chance to prove myself. He and I went to a small town outside London, a muggle town. We found a young girl, about eight or nine, a street girl with no family to speak of, and my father told me to kill her. I wanted so much to impress my father.

"I wanted his appreciation more than anything, so I raised my wand and…well, I won't bore you with the details. I just killed her and left her there to rot. Two months later on my eighteenth birthday I joined the Dark Lord. Not for power or anything like that, just for my father to be proud of me. The Dark Lord killed him a few years later, about two weeks before I decided to change my mind about the whole damn thing."

Snape turned back to face Roxanna who was standing right behind him. He almost ran into her when he turned. He grabbed her shoulders and looked into her green eyes.

"I want to help you because no one deserves that type of torture as punishment. Take it from someone who knows."

The tears that were swelling up in Roxanna's eyes during Snape's confession finally fell. Snape reached into his pocket and pulled out a Slytherin green handkerchief. He handed it to her and took a small step back.

Roxanna began wiping the tears away. "I haven't cried in years," she said.

"There is always a first time for everything," Snape said quietly. Roxanna looked back up at him.

"I'm getting hungry," she said. Snape nodded and turned to the fire. He grabbed some floo powder he had in a small bucket by the fire and tossed it in.

"Kitchen," he said clearly. He requested some food for dinner before sitting down in the same armchair as before. Roxanna took this chance to study the man before her.

His straight black hair fell, framing his pale face. His dark eyes staring at the fire; the flames flashing in their dark depths. His nose, though crooked, gave him a distinguished look, as well as his well-formed mouth.

Several layers of black covered his body, but from what Roxanna could see, and felt, he had some muscles formed under all those layers and was well toned. He was taller than Roxanna by about a head. If she were to stand next to him, she would come to right under his chin.

He had long fingers to go with his large hands. He was handsome in his own way. Everything about him made him look…perfect. Roxanna shook her head to get those thoughts out of her head. Her motion got Snape's attention.

"What's wrong?" He asked. Roxanne shook her head slightly. "Nothing."

Snape just stared at her, almost like he didn't believe her.

"I think it's time you told me your story," Snape said. Roxanna nodded and sat down across from him.

"It all started…"


	5. chapter five

"It all started when I was three. My father died in a terrible accident in the Muggle world. He didn't have time to react when the semi crashed into the car he was riding in. My mother didn't handle it well. She committed suicide three weeks after the funeral. I was all alone.

"My aunt Mary took me in until I was five, then she was committed to St. Mungo's because she was crazy. Then I was taken to the orphanage. I have been there for the past twelve years."

"Twelve years?" Snape asked. Roxanna nodded. "Twelve years of whips, days without food, and sleeping on an ice cold floor without any comforts."

"Why weren't you ever adopted?"

"Miss Beatrice had a son who found me extremely interesting. If anyone ever wanted to adopt me, she would find the one thing that the parents couldn't stand and I would have it. When I turned fourteen she thought that I was old enough to be given to her son as a gift, so on his eighteenth birthday, I was tied up in his bedroom to await his arrival.

"Luckily I got out of the restraints before he arrived. When he got there, we fought…violently. That's how I got this scar here," she said pointing to the scar on her chest that traveled from her right shoulder across her chest and down between her breasts where it disappeared behind the fabric.

Dinner showed up and Roxanna picked up a roll and began eating it in small bits. "I got my first set of scars on my back after I forced her son to go to St. Mungo's for physical therapy. He met a woman there and they ran away together. She blamed me for it.

"Then I noticed the other children. They were getting punished for the smallest things, like wetting the bed or having a single wrinkle on her bed when they made it. I knew it was because of her son and what I did to him, so I took the fall. Every time the whip came down, I was in front of it. Every time she took a swing at someone I was there to get the bruise. It went that way for several years. I helped the children get adopted and get out of there. I knew that my chances for adoption were gone since I no longer had a childlike face or was pretty with all the scars marring my skin, but I could at least get them out.

"So, what are we going to do now that Miss Beatrice is out of commission?"

Snape looked at the young girl. She looked so different than when she walked into the Great Hall that first day. Her dress hung loosely over her curves. She had long legs, a skinny waist from being malnourished, medium sized breasts, long arms, full lips, straight nose, gorgeous green eyes full of strength and hope, and long dirty blonde hair. She looked perfect. She has so much power, like the kind she used in the Great Hall.

"How did you do wand less magic?" Snape asked.

Roxanna looked at him with surprise, then fear. "I…I don't know. I always have been able to do it. I never use it unless it is necessary."

"Use it now," Snape said hopping up. Roxanna jumped back. Snape began taking steps toward her and she kept backing up.

"Go ahead and use it now. Protect yourself," Snape said in a fearsome voice.

"Am I in danger?" Roxanna asked with some fear. Snape laughed and Roxanna's eyes grew in terror.

"I should think so. You see dear child, I was a Deatheater," he said. Roxanna's eyes grew wider with interest and fear as he lifted his sleeve to reveal the Dark Mark on his left arm. Roxanna's eyes flitted down to it, then back into his eyes.

"I thought that was who you were talking about when you mentioned the Dark Lord," she said.

She kept backing up until she hit the wall. Before she had time to move he trapped her between his arms. His hands were against the wall by her head. He wasn't touching her, but he still had a commanding presence. He leaned down close to her so she could smell the spices from all his potion brewing.

"I think you aren't scared enough to use your power," he whispered. "What can I do to make you use them?"

"Why do you wish for me to use them?" she whispered back. Snape smirked. "I just do," he said.

Suddenly he fell to the ground. Roxanna gasped and looked up at the candlestick just floating in midair. She reached out and grabbed it. Once she had it firmly in her grip, she knelt down to the unconscious potions master and smiled.

"You are going to have one massive headache when you wake up," she said, "but you shouldn't have scared me like that. Goodnight Professor Snape."

Roxanna stood, placed the candlestick on the table in the middle of the room, and left. Snape woke up the next morning on the floor of his sitting room. He had a bump on the back of his head and a splitting headache, and he knew just who to blame.


	6. chapter six

Roxanna was sitting in the infirmary with the children, who had eaten too much at dinner and were complaining of tummy aches, when she heard the doors open violently. She didn't have to look up to know who it was.

"Poppy, I need something for my blasted head," Snape said. Roxanna smiled. She knew he would feel that in the morning. Her smile faded as she felt eyes on her back.

"Miss Roxanna, that man is staring at you," one of the younger boys said pointing behind her. Pretending like this was all news to her, she turned. She knew Snape was watching her, what she didn't know was that he was walking towards her. Luckily, Lilith noticed him first, and proceeded to run toward him and attach herself to his right leg.

"Bloody child. Get off of me," Snape said. He lifted his leg in the air in an attempt to shake the young girl off, but she wasn't moving. The other children all saw this and thought this was a game. They all rushed over to him and started jumping on him trying to get his attention.

Roxanna started giggling, which turned into full-fledged laughter. Poppy returned and didn't bother to try and hide her smile while she handed Snape the potion he asked for.

"Thanks Poppy," he said slamming the potion back. He looked up at Roxanna, who was still smiling, and was surprised yet again by her beauty.

Her smile was bright and radiated happiness. He almost wanted to smile. Almost. He looked away from her and back at the children jumping at his feet, each begging for a ride or for him to play with them. He smirked at Roxanna before leaning down to talk to the children.

Roxanna sat back down facing Snape and the children. Suddenly there were several eyes on her, all from the children and Snape. Her eyes widened with curiosity. Suddenly the children rushed forward and tackled her. She was tickled so bad she was crying from laughing so hard.

Snape stood back with utter amusement. The girl was getting a taste of her own medicine. He asked the children to rush over and tickle her giving himself a chance to escape, but seeing her with the children sent a warm feeling throughout his body, one he didn't want to deal with.

Snape walked over the group and spoke in a loud, thundering voice. "Attention!" he said.

The children stopped what they were doing and stood in a straight line facing Snape. He felt the corners of his mouth start to lift into a grin. "Dismissed!" he said in the same tone as before. The children laughed and walked back to their beds to take a short nap. The activities had worn them out and they were still fighting little tummy aches.

Snape walked over to Roxanna and knelt down next to her. Her eyes were closed, and she looked dead.

"Miss Roxanna," he said quietly. He shook her shoulder, but she still didn't move or react. He began to reach down toward her again when her hand reached up pushed him down to the ground.

Within seconds she was on top of him, straddling his hips. She leaned down close to his face. "I believe we are even," she said before standing and walking over to when Poppy was looking over the bruises a broom incident caused a first year. Snape didn't move.

She was teasing him, angering him, and intoxicating him all at once. Finally he stood and left the infirmary and headed back down to the dungeons, to his quarters. He needed to think.

Roxanna watched him leave and smiled to herself. She was enjoying herself. He was funny, scary, and interesting all in one. She wanted nothing more than to see just how muscular he really was underneath those layers of clothes. She knew he was strong from being so close to him before, but now she was really curious. She felt someone pulling on her t-shirt. She looked down and saw Lilith looking up at her.

"What's wrong?" Roxanna asked. Lilith smiled a bright smile at Roxanna before she spoke.

"What is that man's name?" she asked innocently. Roxanna raised an eyebrow. "Professor Severus Snape…why?'

"No reason," she said before she started back to her bed. Roxanna was turning back to her own thoughts when she heard Lilith's voice. She was singing.

Roxanna and Severus sitting in a tree 

_K-I-S-S-I-N-G_

_First comes love _

_Then comes marriage_

_Then comes a baby in the baby carriage_

Roxanna's eyes widened as Poppy turned and looked at her. Roxanna's face was turning bright red as she turned just to see Lilith hop into bed and lay down. Roxanna turned back to Poppy who was smiling.

"Kids," Roxanna said before walking out of the infirmary and then out onto the grounds of Hogwarts. Most of the students were inside in lessons or studying.

Roxanna walked down to a small building she knew belonged to the groundskeeper, Hagrid, she had met a few days ago. She thought he might be able to help her dig up some dirt on this little potions master that was occupying her mind recently.


	7. chapter seven

Snape needed to think. He sat in his sitting room, drinking fire whiskey, looking into the fire, and thinking about Roxanna.

She was a strange girl, but that was to be expected when one grew up the way she did. She had this power in her that seemed to come from nowhere, yet it scared her to use it. She's smart like a Ravenclaw, brave like a Gryffindor, kind like a Hufflepuff, and as sneaky and manipulative as any Slytherin. Not to mention the fact that she is extremely attractive.

"Damn girl," Snape said shaking those thoughts from his head. How could he think things like that about a girl that had to be at least twenty years his junior? _She isn't even 18 for Merlin's sake_. Snape groaned and took another swig of fire whiskey. It was going to be a long night.

Roxanna was really enjoying herself with the large oaf known as Hagrid. _The guy can't cook worth a damn, but at least his heart is in the right place._

Hagrid told Roxanna all sorts of stories about Harry Potter and his few years at Hogwarts, his many creatures he has taken care of, his job as groundskeeper and Care of Magical Creatures professor, and Dumbledore before Roxanna finally broached the subject of Professor Snape.

"Professor Snape? Why ya interested in 'im?"

Roxanna shrugged. "I don't know. He seems to be out of place. He doesn't like physical contact unless he initiates it, which I highly doubt he ever does. He probably claims to be terrible with children, but I've witnessed first-hand the falseness of that statement. He is a mystery wrapped up in an enigma. I just want to know more about this man who seems to not care, but does in his own way."

Hagrid smiled. "I understand now. Well, ya didn't hear this from me…"

Roxanna left Hagrid's hut a few hours later with a bunch of stories about Snape's past and present at Hogwarts to last her a lifetime. The one thing that bothered her was just how sad his past really was.

_No wonder he doesn't like to be touched. He doesn't trust people._

Roxanna returned to the castle only to be called to Dumbledore's office. Once she found it, she saw that someone had already said the password, so she just climbed up the steps. Once at his door, she knocked.

"Come in dear child," the kind-hearted wizard said. Roxanna rolled her eyes. She hated being called a child. She opened the door and was surprised to find Professor Snape there as well.

Snape was his usual intimidating self. He was leaning up against the wall with his arms crossed defensively across his chest. Roxanna fought the urge to laugh while taking a seat across from Dumbledore.

"I think we may have a way to keep you and the other children here until such a time as they can be placed in a safer orphanage," Dumbledore said smiling.

Roxanna smiled brightly. "That's wonderful news. What do we have to do?"

"I want you to help Severus out in potions. I understand that you are well adapted in making potions and would be of great help to him."

Snape took a few steps forward. "I don't think that it is wise to burden the poor child with…"

"I am not a child," Roxanna said in a defiant tone interrupting Snape. He looked down at her and she looked up at him.

Snape couldn't understand what was wrong with this girl. He was trying his most menacing sneers at her and she wasn't flinching or turning away. She was just staring back with her own menacing sneer. Snape had to admit to himself that it was pretty damn good.

"If you insist on it, you may assist me," Snape said before turning back to Dumbledore. "I must go, NEWT level potions." Dumbledore nodded and Snape took his leave.

Roxanna smiled at the kind Headmaster. "So, you just snap your fingers and he does what you say?"

"Not exactly, but he usually relents understanding that I have a reason for all this."

"Ah," Roxanna said, "and what is your reasoning for making me help him out?"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled merrily. "That, my dear, if for me to know and you to find out."

Roxanna smiled at the older gentleman, but something about his twinkling eyes made her a little wary of working with the professor from hell.

"Anything else?" she asked with a smile, even though her mind was jumping around in a million different directions.

"Yes, I believe I have figured out why you can do wandless magic," Dumbledore said. "Because you were never properly trained, your magic hasn't been put to good use, therefore you are able to use it without the use of a wand."

"At least now you know why I can do what I can do, and it is a lot less interesting the Professor Snape's way," Roxanna said.

"What is Professor Snape's way?"

Roxanna smiled. "That, my dear Headmaster, is a story for another day."


	8. chapter eight

The day passed quickly. Snape couldn't believe that it was already time for the students to be out of his hair.

Snape was walking around doing some cleaning when he felt a tug at his robes. He turned but didn't see anything, so he continued on his way. A few seconds later he felt another tug, and once again when he turned there was nothing there. This continued for several minutes until Snape cracked.

"Who's there?" he bellowed. Then he heard it, laughter. It was coming from under one of the desks, but which one. He carefully made his way past the desks slowly, until he felt the tug again. This time he was faster. He grabbed a small wrist and pulled gently enough not break anything, but hard enough to get them out of their hiding place.

He was holding a small boy in his hands. The boy had bright red hair and freckles. His eyes were shining blue. The first thing Snape thought of was Weasley, but he knew that this wasn't one of theirs. This kid actually had manageable hair, unlike the members of the Weasley family.

"Who are you?" Snape asked placing the young boy, who was around seven or eight, back on the ground. The boy said nothing, just looked up at the professor and smiled. It was strange seeing such an eager and happy face directed at him. He had never really been smiled at before and it was a little unnerving.

"Who are you?" he said again in his best classroom voice. Still the boy said nothing, but kept smiling, although now he was looking around the empty classroom with mild interest.

"I won't say it again, who are you?"

"He won't answer you, he's deaf." Snape looked up at the new intruder to his classroom and locked eyes with Roxanna. He glared at her and then sneered at her.

"That is impossible. There hasn't been a witch or wizard that was deaf for centuries. Blind…yes, deaf…no."

Roxanna walked into the room and looked at the boy. She tapped him on the shoulder and waited for him to turn. When he did, Roxanna began moving her hands rapidly. Snape didn't have the foggiest idea what the girl was doing. Occasionally he would notice her point to him, but then go right back into whatever she was doing.

The boy seemed to understand and nodded at certain points. Finally Roxanna's hands fell to her sides and then the boy's hands began moving. It was an amazing sight watching his fingers and hands move with such grace, and yet so fast.

Then Roxanna laughed. It was strange hearing a noise in the quiet room, but no one cared. Snape was in shock. Her laughter was like the ocean, calming in a way.

"Professor?" Roxanna's voice knocked Snape out of his thoughts. He looked at the young girl with his best "what the hell do you want?" look. She was unfazed.

"I must apologize, but you see Eric here has a fascination with potions and when he discovered that such a great and well respected Potion Master worked here, he had to find you. I am afraid that he didn't think before he acted and brought me along for the ride."

Snape looked at Roxanna with narrowed eyes. How the hell could she figure that out?

The little boy started moving his hands at Roxanna again. He was pointing at Snape too, and then they both started laughing. It was obviously a joke on his point.

"What is so funny?" Snape asked with a bit of edge to his voice. Roxanna turned to Snape and stopped laughing at his face. He was mad.

"I'm sorry. I forget that you don't know sign language. I learned so Eric would have someone to talk to. I'm sorry," Roxanna said. Snape nodded once and then raised his eyebrows.

"Oh, we weren't laughing at you professor. We were laughing at how confused you looked when we were signing. You looked like someone had given you candy and then told you that you couldn't eat it. It was so funny," Roxanna said before bursting into giggles again.

Snape stood there seething. He was getting mad. It was one thing to be laughed at behind his back, but quite another to be talked and laughed at in front of you and not have any idea what is going on.

Snape grabbed Roxanna's waist and shoved her, gently, against a nearby desk before blocking her in with his arms.

"What are you two talking about?" Snape growled. Roxanna sighed and then moved her hands again. Eric looked at her and then at Snape before leaving the room. Roxanna grabbed Snape's shoulders and tried to push him away from her, but he wasn't budging.

"Please move," she said politely. Snape wasn't listening. "What were you two talking about?"

"That is none of your damn business, Severus," Roxanna said in anger. Snape grabbed her throat but didn't apply any pressure. He just wanted to scare her. Roxanna sighed and pushed harder on his shoulders.

"I asked you nicely to move," she said in a calm voice. Snape added some pressure onto her neck, but it didn't faze her, or stop from breathing.

"Please move. I don't want to hurt you," she said again, still in a calm voice. Snape didn't move this time, just added a little more pressure. Any normal person would have been gasping for air, but not Roxanna. She remained calm and kept adding more pressure against Snape's arms.

"You asked for it," she said. A bright light began to form under her hands on Snape's shoulders. He noticed and released her neck. The light faded slightly, but was still there.

Suddenly Snape was feeling very warm. Almost like his cloak was on fire. He looked down and noticed that smoke was billowing up from where her hands were on his shoulders.

Snape jumped away from her and looked at his shoulders. There were burn marks on his cloak and the robes underneath it. She had been burning through his clothes. He looked back to where Roxanna was and saw her hands were now resting at her sides. They looked burned as well.

Snape took her right hand in his and looked at the burns. They were pretty severe.

"What the hell did you do?" Snape said looking over the marks. Roxanna said nothing, but continued to stand there. Snape pulled out his wand and pointed it at her hand. Roxanna pulled her hand out of his grasp and fell to the ground holding it close to her chest.

"No," she screamed as she hit the ground. Snape knelt down by her and saw the tears running down her face. When she looked up into his eyes, he saw the fear hiding behind them.

"What did that bitch do to you?"


	9. Chapter nine

"What did that bitch do to you?"

Roxanna didn't move from the floor. Her eyes remained down on the floor as she cradled her burned hands to her chest.

"Roxanna, what did she do to you?" Snape asked as he knelt down. He didn't know why he cared so much, but he did.

"I'm sorry," Roxanna whispered so softly Snape almost missed it, "I was afraid that you would be like Mr. Explenta, Beatrice's son."

Snape raised his eyebrow at this. "What did he do to you?"

Roxanna didn't answer, but Snape could hear her quiet sobs. He reached down carefully and lifted her chin gently to get her to look at him.

Tears were streaming down her face. Her eyes were filled with terror and pain. "What did he do to you, Roxanna?"

"He…tried to hurt me using his wand. No, he did. He yelled out some spell and almost instantly there was nothing for me to do except fall to the ground screaming in pain," Roxanna said in tears. Snape knew what she was talking about it was the Crucio curse. He had been on the receiving end of that particular curse for many years.

"Why would he do that to you?" Roxanna was taking deep breaths trying to calm herself down.

"I…I didn't make…his dinner right. It was burned," Roxanna said slowly. Snape jerked back in surprise. She was hurt because she burned dinner?

"Actually I took the curse for one of the other children. I was eleven at the time and the girl who was cooking was six. She accidentally forgot about the rice and it burned. I told him that it was me, and so I paid for the mistake."

Snape was becoming angry, but hid it well. This girl had been through so much. He was about to stand and go fetch the headmaster when she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him into a hug.

The shock knocked Snape backwards onto his butt, but Roxanna held on tight. She didn't want to let go. She crawled into his lab and sat there, crying into his shoulder.

Snape didn't know what to do. He lifted his arms and wrapped them around her waist hugging her back without realizing it.

They sat like that for several minutes, even after Roxanna stopped crying. Roxanna could feel her cheeks drying, and she knew that she was supposed to be at dinner in ten minutes, but with every breath she took she inhaled more of the spices that Snape used when making potions. The scent was ingrained in him.

Snape was having his own problems. He also had to appear at dinner soon or Albus would show up wondering what was wrong. However, every time he thought about getting up some of her hair would brush by his face causing him to get caught in the softness of it on his cheek.

And so they sat on the cold dungeon floor in each other's arms both stuck there by the other person's fascination with them.

They didn't know how long they actually sat there, but a knock on the classroom door and the sound of Albus' voice drifting through was enough to make them realize they had missed dinner.

"Severus my dear boy. Is everything all right? May I come in?"

The sound of Albus' voice was enough to bring Snape back to reality and practically push Roxanna onto the floor as he stood. He looked down at the girl on the floor. The skirt she was wearing was riding up, showing a good portion of her legs and several fading scars.

"Enter," Snape said still looking at the young girl. Albus opened the door and was a little surprised. He expected to find Severus alone, not with Roxanna sitting on his classroom floor obviously trying to hide the fact she had been crying recently and Snape standing away from her, looking guilty.

"What happened here?" Dumbledore said walking toward Roxanna, who had finally stood. Her looked her over trying to see if there was anything physically wrong with her, but Roxanna kept moving away from him.

Finally she moved behind Snape, on the other side of his desk, and sat down in his chair.

"You wanted something Albus?" Snape said with his arms crossed and leaning on his desk.

"Yes, I was going to inform you that it would be beneficial if you would take Roxanna here into your quarters and let her live with you in the spare bedroom. That way if you are up working late, you won't have to worry about walking her back to the rooms provided on the other side of the castle."

"Whatever you say Headmaster," Snape said without moving. Albus eyed his curiously. This was the first time he had suggested something that didn't turn into some sort of an argument. It was out of character for the usually angry and melancholy potions master.

"Very well. The house elves have already moved her things. See you tomorrow dear boy and you too Roxanna," Albus said with a wave before walking out the door and into the dungeon hallways.

Snape sighed and turned back to Roxanna. "I…" Roxanna was asleep in his chair. Her legs were hanging over the arm on one side while her back rested on the other arm and her head was resting on the back of the chair. She looked peaceful.

Snape watched her sleep for a few more minutes before finally lifting her into his arms and carrying her to her room in his chambers. He laid her down on her bed and covered her up.

He left the room quietly and retired to his room. He fell down on his bed and fell to sleep instantly.


	10. chapter ten

Snape and Roxanna worked together most nights. They didn't talk much about their pasts, but time went on and soon it was getting close to March.

It was midnight on March 17 when someone knocked on the door to Snape's chambers. Luckily his private labs were attached to his rooms.

"Who do you think it could be?" Roxanna asked looking up from the roots she had been slicing. Snape shrugged and continued working on his potion.

Roxanna stood and walked into the office and opened the door. Suddenly several little arms surrounded her and she fell to the ground with a loud "oof." Snape rushed in and was surprised at the sight.

Several of the other orphan children were hugging Roxanna, two were standing by the door holding two small packages, and one was standing next to them holding a small cake with a single burning candle on it.

"What's all this then?" Snape said calmly as he leaned against the doorframe. Roxanna finally broke free of the others and stood before walking over to Snape. Lilith followed right behind her.

"It's my birthday and the children want to celebrate," Roxanna said in a small whisper.

"Please Mr. Professor Snape sir, can we sing for Roxanna?" Lilith said with big eyes and a trembling chin. She looked ready to cry. Snape looked from her to the other children, who all similar expressions, before nodding. Suddenly he felt Lilith wrap her arms around his waist.

"Thank you so much," Lilith said before rushing over to the other children. They all stood and looked at Roxanna.

"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Roxanna. Happy birthday to you."

Roxanna walked over and blew out the single candle on the small cake. She cut the cake and handed everyone a small piece, even Snape who claimed he didn't want any.

Lilith walked over to where Snape was standing, watching Roxanna sit with the other children and talk.

"Roxanna's really nice sir," Lilith said. Snape looked down at the young girl and nodded. "You should marry her."

Snape almost dropped his cake. He looked down at the girl with wide eyes. "Why do you say that?"

Lilith smiled. "Because you guys like each other and people that like each other should get married. Don't you like Roxanna?"

"Yes, but that doesn't…"

"Then you should marry her. You don't want to lose her when she leaves do you?"

Snape paused what he was going to say next. He had tried not to think about it, but when the school year was over, Roxanna was going to be on her own, and the orphans were going to another orphanage. Roxanna would be leaving Hogwarts, leaving him.

"Professor Snape? Are you okay?"

Snape looked up and Roxanna, whose green eyes were glowing with concern for him. It was in that moment that Snape understood. He was in love with Roxanna. He was in love with a girl who had just celebrated her eighteenth birthday and had gone through as much torture and pain as he had as a Deatheater. He was in love with a girl almost half his age. And he didn't care who knew it.

"I'm fine," he said. Roxanna smiled brightly at him before turning back to the other children. Lilith looked up at him.

"I knew you didn't want to lose her," she said before walking over where Roxanna was opening her presents.

Later that night, the children were sent off to bed. It was almost one in the morning and the potion Snape had been working on had finally been completed.

"That was really nice of the kids," Roxanna said as she helped Snape bottle and label the potion. Snape didn't say anything.

Roxanna looked up at the man who she had come to love, despite the age difference and his rude attitude, and wondered what was bothering him.

"What's up?"

Snape looked up at her from the bottles he was labeling. "Nothing," he said, "I was just thinking."

"What about?"

"Wondering what you wished for."

Roxanna looked at him with a confused look on her face. "Wished for?"

"When you blew out your candle. You made a wish didn't you?"

Roxanna smiled. "Yeah, I did. But I don't think it'll come true."

"What was it?"

Roxanna chuckled slightly. "Now, now Severus, you know that I can't tell you that. If I tell you it won't come true."

"Do you know what Lilith told me tonight?"

Roxanna looked at him with confusion on her face. "No, what?"

Snape looked back at his bottles and continued labeling. "She told me I should marry you."

Roxanna almost dropped the bottle she was holding.

"Lilith said that?"

"Yes, and a great many other things."

"Like what?"

"She said that you liked me and that I liked you and that if I didn't want to lose you I should marry you right away."

Roxanna looked down at the bottle in her hand, hiding her blush behind her hair. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest. Lilith had always been so perceptive of her feelings.

"What did you tell her?" Roxanna said filling another bottle before placing it with the others Snape had yet to mark.

"I didn't answer her, but she made me realize something very important."

"What was that?"

Roxanna barely had time to think before Snape pulled her into his arms and embraced her. Snape held her close for a few seconds before pulling back and looking into her eyes.

"That I am in love with you," he said quietly. Roxanna smiled.

"I love you too," she said.

Snape pulled her towards him and captured her lips with his. All the feelings they had kept bottled up came flowing up in that one kiss.

When they finally broke away from each other, Roxanna smiled.

"Thank you," she said. Snape looked at her surprised.

"What for?"

"You made my wish come true."

Lilith sat on her bed and smiled. She hoped that Snape and Roxanna would figure out their feelings before morning, cause it is hard playing matchmaker at the age of seven.

**Well, that is my story. I hope you liked it even though it isn't really all that good. Please let me know what you think.**


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